IT'S lonesome -- sorto' lonesome, -- it's a @3Sund'y-day,@1 to me, It 'pears-like -- more'n any day I nearly ever see! -- Yit, with the Stars and Stripes above, a-flutterin' in the air, On ev'ry Soldier's grave I'd love to lay a lily thare. They say, though, Decoration Days is giner'ly observed 'Most @3ev'rywheres@1 -- espeshally by soldier-boys that's served. -- But me and Mother's never went -- we seldom git away, -- In p'int o' fact, we're @3allus@1 home on @3Decoration Day.@1 They say the old boys marches through the streets in colum's grand, A-follerin' the old war-tunes they're playin' on the band -- And citizuns all jinin' in -- and little children, too -- All marchin', under shelter of the old Red White and Blue. -- With roses! roses! roses! -- ev'rybody in the town! -- And crowds o' little girls in white, jest fairly loaded down! -- Oh! don't THE BOYS know it, from theyr camp acrost the hill? -- Don't they see theyr com'ards comin' and the old flag wavin' still? Oh! can't they hear the bugul and the rattle of the drum? -- Ain't they no way under heavens they can rickollect us some? Ain't they no way we can coax 'em, through the roses, jest to say They know that ev'ry day on earth's theyr Decoration Day? We've tried that -- me and Mother, -- whare Elias takes his rest, In the orchurd -- in his uniform, and hands acrost his brest, And the flag he died fer, smilin' and a-ripplin' in the breeze Above his grave -- and over that, -- @3the robin in the trees!@1 And @3yit@1 it's lonesome -- lonesome! -- It's a @3Sund'y-day,@1 to @3me,@1 It 'pears-like -- more'n any day I nearly ever see! -- Still, with the Stars and Stripes above, a-flutterin' in the air, On ev'ry soldier's grave I'd love to lay a lily thare. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...FOR G. by WILFRID WILSON GIBSON THE BUGLER'S FIRST COMMUNION by GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS UPON THE SAYING THAT MY VERSES WERE MADE BY ANOTHER by ANNE KILLIGREW THE SEVEN AGAINST THEBES: NEWS OF WAR by AESCHYLUS JAY A-PASS'D by WILLIAM BARNES THE PILGRIM SHIP by KATHARINE LEE BATES PURIFICATION OF YE B. VIRGIN by JOSEPH BEAUMONT THE TIME FOR PRAYER by G. BENNETT EPITAPH ON MR. VAUX, THE PHYSICIAN by WILLIAM BROWNE (1591-1643) |